Dragons Roar
by RemorasFinalHope
Summary: N'kor is just a laid back blue rider who likes to do things his own way, so when he meets a girl in trouble and helps her out, he has no idea what will follow.  I'll set the rating a little high, but i really don't now what all will be in it for sure...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Pern, or the Dragons, Riders or locations of Pern. These are all property of Anne McCaffrey, but I am using my own original characters.**

N'kor was returning to Benden Weyr after the last Fall. The pass was nearing its' end, and supposedly it would be the final one, after Aivis' plan with the Red Star had been finished. He had never had time to go see the device himself, but he wished he had before it had been 'terminated'. He had his blue, Slinoth, land on the ledge to their weyr. He slid from the dragons back and landed with a quiet thud on the carpet below and walked into his part of the weyr.

Since he was just a lowly blue rider, he had only a few Weyr-bound duties, and could spend most of his time, outside of Falls that is, hiring himself out as a messenger or watch dragon for a hold, so he always had plenty of various types of marks to buy whatever he wanted with, so his little blue rider weyr was cluttered with all sorts of stuff. _Maybe I should sell some of this at the next gather… _ He thought idly to Slinoth.

_Really? Took you this long to figure that out? I don't know how you can move around in there. I'm happy I have my weyr all to myself. _ N'kor heard the quiet rumble of the dragon laughing from the other room. N'kor stripped out of his riding gear and walked into his bathing room, where he had a small tub ready to be filled. He turned the water on and waited for it to fill before he stripped the rest of his clothes off to get it, it was cold night, though dragon flame and Thread ash had kept him warm through the Fall, and he wanted in the hot water and back into his clothes as quick as he could so that he could go eat without every one backing away cause of the dragon breath-like smell he would have from all sweating he had done, reminders of the narrow misses from other dragons. He would have to talk to wingleader S'jar about some of the new riders and their lack of ability, there was serious need for me Fall training.

_Hey! My breath isn't that bad! _He chuckled to Slinoth's retort to the insult.

_You would think so if you had to smell the flame that came from it, you fly to fast for the smell to bother you! _That just got him another rumbling chuckle, and his weyr filled with residue smoke from the firestone.

_Since you enjoyed the smell enough to remember it._

N'kor sunk into the water, his nose just above it, leaving the smoke to high for the smell to get to him. He stayed in the water till it began to thin out, spreading around the Weyr, the smell weakening. He grabbed a hand full of sweet sand from the wher hide bag he had hanging beside the tub and quickly bathed, getting out and drying off with a towel, then getting dressed in a clean outfit.

He ran to the weyr-ledge, where Slinoth was waiting. The dragon launched himself off of the ledge, and the rider leaped off of it after him, the dragon catching him easily as he glided down to the bottom of the bowl-shaped Weyr. After he landed, N'kor leaped off and ran to the kitchen. The main flood of post-Fall riders had already swept through while he was taking a bath, so he didn't have to wait around as he quickly picked out what he wanted.

Taking a platter full of food and a mug of hot klah to a table that he saw some of his friends at, he sat down and hugged one of the girls, just because he knew it would bug her that her weyrmate didn't care how affectionate he got.

"How ya doing, Islia? Looks like you made it through the Fall with but one score." He kissed the already healing scar on her cheek, finding that it was still warm.

"N'kor, you know I don't like you to get...like that." She was blushing, but she didn't move away from the quick peck like she normally did.

"Well, it's not my fault that Slinoth has no interest in flying Derenth, but you're still adorable, so I can't help it." He smiled cockily at her and sat down again.

"So I get her, cause Teroth caught Derenth." H'lar said from her other side, wrapping his arm around Islia, who leaned against him. N'kor noticed the expression in her eyes as she looked at the older bronze rider. "There are still people trying to eat here, keep it clean, or go find a weyr." He may like to flirt, but he would rather not see his friends making out on the table he was eating at.

H'lar looked thoughtful for a second, and N'kor had a moment where he noticed why Islia liked him so much, and knew that it was even more for his personality then for his dashing looks, and shook his head. "I think the young one has a point, dearest green, let's go to our weyr so we won't be interrupted." Her face lit up when he suggested that and he carried her out of the dining room.

N'kor went back to eating, and after a moment felt another thud beside him, accompanied by a sigh. "Hey Silien." He didn't stop eating, talking to her between on swallow and the next mouthful. "You sound tired or upset, so which is it?"

She watched him talk and eat. "Yea, that's real attractive N'kor." He saw her looking weird at him as he ate. He blushed and slowed down a bit.

"Sorry, but I haven't eaten for almost a day now. I had a night watch at Lemas hold, then I had to fly back here real quick for the Fall preparations, then I stayed in for the full 6 hours of the Fall, and was given post fall sweep duties, and I'm just getting back now. I'm starved."

"It's your own fault for getting all these watch-dragon jobs. You need to take a few days off and relax for once."

"Not my style, I'll rest on the next gather day."

"That's not for another sevenday…you're gonna be dead on your feet if you work at your usual pace till then." She sounded concerned, as she usually did when the topic of his work ethics were brought up. "You need to remember that Slinoth is just a blue, you can't work him like a brown or bronze."

An bugle of indignity came from above the lower caves. "Well, he happens to agree with me that he's not 'just a blue', he's the best blue on Pern, and he can give any brown a good contest. Most if not any bronze for that matter." He defended his dragon, knowing he was speaking the truth.

"Are all guys this hard headed?" Silien sighed again, shaking her head.

"You know you like it." He smiled at her again, his cocky voice reflecting his smile and good mood.

"That's irrelevant." He resisted the urge to smile even more. At least she didn't deny it like she used to, when they first Impressed. "You need to take a day off sometime. Any plans for the morning yet?"

"Not yet. I haven't had time to make any yet."

"Good, Glinth and I were going to a nearby lake for a swim, you and Slinoth should come along and relax for once."

_She does have a point, we haven't been swimming in a long time. _ Slinoth seemed to like the idea.

_If you insist. _ To Silien "He says it's a good idea, so sure."

She smiled brightly and hugged him. "YAY! Meet us on my weyr-ledge at two hours after dawn. And don't say you can't find it, I know you know where it is, I remember you standing out there singing song to me all night till the Weyrleaders got after you for keeping the weyr awake." She glared at him, and he laughed at the memory.

"Good times." He smiled as he finished his food off and drained the last of his klah, got up and dropped off the dirty dishes in the kitchen as he left to the weyr bowl where Slinoth was waiting for him.

_Let's go to sleep now, buddy._

_ As you wish._

Surprised he didn't have one of his usual smart remarks, N'kor settled down on his back, and was asleep by the time he landed in the weyr.


	2. Chapter 2

N'kor woke up, still on Slinoths' back, leaning back against one on of the withers. He yawned and stretched, feeling the dragon waking up below him. They just stayed there for a bit, enjoying the pre-dawn light as it filtered over the horizon, and just moments later, they began to see the sun rise.

_So, we have two hours now? _ N'kor asked Slinoth.

After a small hesitation. _Glinth says that Silien says we have one and a half. _

_Of course, she's always up early. I really have to get her drunk and see how long she sleeps, might be a record._

The dragon chuckled for a moment. _Wine isn't the only reason she would be tired… _N'kor saw what he was hinting at and punched his shoulder.

_If I didn't' want to stay on you back for a while longer, I would go get something heavy to throw at you._

Slinoth cocked his head to the side a bit. _Is threats you way of saying 'I love you' or something. _The dragon sounded amused.

N'kor rolled his eyes _Let's go eat. Wanna challenge Dirkth to another hunting competition? First one to get two herd beasts caught and eaten, giving the riders time to skin them first? _ They had these hunting contests all the time with J'ris and his brown Dirkth, and Slinoth usually won, which really hurt the browns pride.

_I don't know…maybe we should find a bronze who is interested. Stronger dragon and stronger rider._

_ I don't know about that one…you winning a bronze is possible, but not when you're hungry. _N'kor had to tease him a bit.

_The bronze would be hungry too. _ Slinoth pointed out.

_Yea…but you're a big baby when you're hungry._

N'kor was rewarded with a nice strong shake off of Slinoths' back, falling to his knees on the carpet as he laughed. _Well, if I'm such a baby when I'm hungry, I'll go hunt now, and you can just take the time to walk to the kitchen. _ With a snort, the dragon left the weyr and flew off to where the herd beasts were kept.

N'kor was still laughing after he left the weyr, and walked through it, going down countless stair wells till he finally got to the kitchen in the lower caverns. He had a quick breakfast of bread, cheese and hot klah, and left the kitchen, turned a corner and felt some one run into him. He fell back wards and he felt something light fall into his lap. He opened his eyes and saw Silien holding her nose, a slight trickle of blood from hitting his chest.

"Jerk, I was just coming to tease you about needing to walk down here for one." He voice was muffled from the hand that pinched her nose to stop the bleeding.

"Don't you have a mate to go harass all the time?" N'kor asked.

Silien glared at him and he remembered that, though they normally flew 3 or 4 times a Turn, her green hadn't flown once in the two years since she Impressed her.

He looked down blushing with shame. "Sorry, I forgot." He helped her up and she jerked away from him, walking off, muttering something that sounded like "Lucky you."

_It's becoming more and more obvious why you can't get a mate on your own every day. _Slinoth's voice was a mix of amusement and sympathy.

_What ever. _ Cursing silently to himself, N'kor walked off, leaving the lower caves. _Let's go for a fly for a bit. _

_Don't forget about the swimming. _

_I doubt she would want me to go after that…incident._

_ Glinth still wants us to go, she says that Silien has been feeling lonely, since your off working all the time, and the other two are usually off in a weyr, or hiding in a forest somewhere._

_ Then we will meet when it's time, let's go for a fly till then. Find a nice sunny ledge somewhere. _N'kor vaulted onto his dragons' back and the blue took off, rising quickly, and vanished between. They reappeared over the southern contient, which they had only been to once before, when a comet had hit Perns' oceans and caused a tsunami. He had been part of the team that helped get people out of Monaco Bay, one of the coastal towns that got totally destroyed. The Monaco Bay Weyr had also been flooded, so the dragons were staying somewhere else now, but he didn't know the details. The waters were still receding.

Slinoth glided through the air over Monaco, and found a ledge on the cliffs of a mountain a bit away to rest in the sun on. As he laid on the rocky out cropping, N'kor jumped from his back and found a nice narrow path covered in grass heading down ot a sudden drop off. He laid down on the slope, enjoying the feel of the grass against his back and arms, waiting for Slinoth to be told it was time to meet up from Glinth. About an hour passed, and he felt like he was about to fall asleep in the warm sunlight.

_Glinth says it's almost time, so we should go before one of us falls asleep. _ Slinoth sounded like he had had a good nap.

_Okay. _ N'kor had gotten up and walked back over to Slinoth.

He climbed to his dragons back and they flew into the air, going between, back to Benden. When they got there, they spiraled down to Siliens' weyrledge. The girls were inside the weyr, and Slinoth led the way in. Silien was at the threshold between her weyr and Glinths, a bag on her back, walking to the dragon.

"Wondered when you two would get here." She smiled, seeming to have forgotten about his blunder this morning.

"Hey, were early as is." He retorted.

"Whatever, that just means we can swim more. Let's go." Slinoth took off foirst, being nearest the exit to the crapped room, and winged his way higher, Glinth just below him.

When the two dragons reached the safe height, Glinth sent the destinations image to Slinoth, and they winked between. After three breaths of pure, cold, senseless darkness, they burst back into existence high above a clear blue lake hidden in the mountains that the Weyr were nestled in. The dragons slowly hovered down, landing on the shore by the mountain lake, and Silien jumped off of Glinths' back right away, taking off her heavy riding gear and ran into the lake, making a big splash as she dived in. N'kor slid off of Slinoth and stripped off his gear as he walked to the lake, and jumped in.

"SHARDS! This is cold!" He shouted as he rose from the water again.

Silien giggled at him as she swam around. "It's a mountain lake, the water is from winter snows, it's going to be cold. But it's one of the best feeling waters to swim in too." She kept swimming, obviously enjoying herself, the wet cloths clinging to her body. He swam around, and kept looking over to see the dragons lying by each other on a ledge, watching them. He dived down and opened his eyes, seeing that it was a very deep lake. He stayed under, enjoying the feeling of free movement, till his lungs burned, and surfaced again. Silien was floating on her back, and he paddled over to her.

"Your right, it is nice to have a day off once in a while." He rolled to his back and floated at her side for a while, feeling like he would doze off soon. The sun was just passing its zenith and they were stroking back to shore. After stumbling back onto solid land after so long in the water, they walked away from the water a bit and collapsed on each other, laughing because they felt good after the nice long swim. After a while of lying on the ground, breathing hard from the swimming and the laughing afterwards, they got up and walked over to their dragons. Silien opened her bag and got out a dry pair of clothes, stripping off her wet ones to put them on. When she saw N'kor watching her, she blushed and hid behind Glinth to finish changing. He chuckled to her reaction, wishing he had thought to bring a spare pair, but deciding that he could just lay out in the sun to dry off.

Silien came back around from Glinth and smiled at him. "Any plans for the rest of the day?"

"I think that Slinoth and I will find a nice sunny place to go take a nap." Slinoths resulting hum confirmed it.

"Mind if Glinth and I tag along?" Silien blushed, and N'kor made a mental note to flirt with her a bit less, he didn't want her taking it too far.

"Sure." He smiled, thinking it would be fun to have another human around during one of their sunbathing moments, it got kind of quiet when Slinoth fell asleep, but N'kor never wanted to wake him up till it was time to go.

N'kor jumped to Slinoths back, putting his riding jacket over his wet cloths, and Slinoth lead the way up till they were at the needed height, and went between to his favorite sunning area. He felt the unbearable cold envelope him for 8 seconds, than they burst out into warm sunlight. Glinth followed them as Slinoth winged his way down, landing on a mountain ledge. N'kor was off of the dragon by the time the other one landed and dropped Silien off on the ledge, then followed Slinoth as he glided up to a higher, sunnier ledge above them. N'kor took off his riding jacket and laid his shirt on the ground to dry. Normally he would take his pants off and let them dry by his shirt, but kept them on with Silien there. He laid on the grassy hill side, with a drop off just a meter or so from his feet. Silien moved to where he was slowly, seeing the ledge, and sat on the hill beside him.

"It's a good view, which mountains are these?"

"The ones at the base of the Nerat peninsula." He yawned as he spoke.

"I didn't know a place like this existed in these mountains…." Her voice trailed off as she looked out at the distance.

"Slinoth and I found it during a thread fall. There are animals in the mountains that Neratians use for game and hides, so we keep thread away from the mountains. But when we saw this place, I made sure he remembered it, cause it was a nice place, so we keep coming back to it." He heard her mutter something, and knew she was falling asleep. He laid there and watched the suns travel, staring off to the side of it, half awake and half asleep.

The sun was setting when he finally sat up. He looked at Silien at his side, still sound asleep. He shook her shoulder to wake her up. "Come on cutie, let's get you back to your weyr." He helped her to her feet, since she was still groggy, and he didn't want her stumbling off the cliff side. He helped her up to the flat landing above them, and called for the dragons. They came hovering down, and when they landed, he helped Silien as she scrambled onto Glinths' back and grabbed his shirt and put it on before he grabbed his riding jacket and vaulted onto Slinoths' back, putting it one when he got there. Glinth went up first, and N'kor saw that, still sleepy, Silien managed to think clearly enough to grab around one of the dragons withers, and they vanished between. Slinoth followed, seeing them half way to her weyr when they winked back into reality. Slinoth bugled at the watch dragon, winging down to N'kors' weyr.

_Tell Glinth that we will be over in a moment to make sure Silien gets to bed without hurting herself._

After a moment of the dragons talking silently. _Glinth says that she'll keep Silien on her back till then to be safe._

Slinoth landed in K'nors' weyr, and he threw off his riding gear, including the harness, and jumped back on the blues' back, riding bareback to Siliens' weyr. As promised, the girl was on the dragons back, still half asleep. _How you sleep right after between I'll never know!_ N'kor though, supposedly to himself, but the dragons' rumbling laughter told him they heard him too. He help Silien down from her greens' back, and just threw her into his arms and carried her into the weyr, deciding it would save a lot of hassling with stumbling and everything. He laid her down on her bed and put the sleeping furs over her. He watched her face as she slept for a while, then went back to the dragons, and patted Glinth on the snout.

"I'll see you in the morning." He mounted Slinoth again, and they left the weyr.

_Glinth says 'good night to you too'_ There was amusement in the dragons voice as he landed in their own weyr.

N'kor yawned as he slid off of him, and walked to his own bed, snuggling down between the sleeping furs, and was asleep almost instantly.


End file.
